Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1887-11-10
Water Supply on the Farm.

| Water Supply on the Farm.
A copious supply of pure water
writes Henry Stewart in The Americai
! Agricutturisi, is indispensable on every
farm. This is one point to which par
ticular attention should be given in Sc
lecting farm. A clear, cool, running
stream through the pasture and neal
the barn is the most convenient source
for the supply Of the cows, but unless
/ the farm controls the springs from
which the stream issues il is apt to be
the worst of all. If the water is con-
taminated in any way the quality Of the
milk will inevitably suffer; and many
cases occur in which dairyman. suf-
fering from supposed mysterious trouble
with the milk and the butter or cheese
made from it, has at last found the
cause to BIO impurity in the WAGER drank
by the cows. Moreover. large guam.
tity of water is required in dairy for
cleansing the pans, and if this water is
not pure, the very source of the suppos.
cd cleansing brings impurity into the
dairy.
The writer's supply of water was pr o.
cured from springs which were opened
in the bottom of 4 slope between the
house and barn.by digging three or four
feet down in bed of fine, clean sand
and gravel;when the water immediate
ly flowed out over the br IN and down
to small spring-stream in the bottom,
which was fed by large number of
bubbling springs in its bed. Such a
source as this, conveniently close to
the barn. and not SO low that it cannot
be brought up in pipes by means of 4
pump, is the very best, rs the water is
pure and cool in summer and warm in
winter, and in unlimited supply at all!
seasons of the year The manner in
which tn 5 supply Of water was made
available is as follows: A reservoir or
tank was cut near the foot of the slope.
sufficiently deep TO hold an abundant
stock and to secure an even tempera-
ture, which averaged from 4S to 80 de-
grees in midsummer. and 40 to AS de-
grees in midwnter. The pool was
lined with wall of stone laid closely
and covered with II small building for
protection.
Other springs were opened and wall
cd in the same way, and arched over
with stone. after providing n safe out
| let with dran-tilCs and an air-trap TO
prevent access of any small insect OF
animals. Pipes OF galvanized iron
were laid from these springs in trenches
three feet deep, SO rs to be safe from
frost, and to preserve GOODNESS in the
hot weather, and connected with pumps
in the house, stable, barn and bara,
yard. Where the height of the hill,
S de was too great to permit the use
Of common suction pump, dry well
was dug to II sutlic cnt depth, W..
eight feet, and the pipe was carried to
| the bottom of it and connected with O
force pump, by which the water could
be carried by means of II hose to any
part of the yard or stables. A nozze
attached 10 tbs hose made it easy tc
throw n stream of water over any OF
the buildings, most useful thing in
case of fire, or for washing the stable
floor and other desirable purposes.
Where springs of tn kind are no,
available common wells are next in
value. But us wells are qu ckly con.
taminated by drainage from the sur
face. when in or near barn yards oil
stables it is advisable to have the vel
for use in n diary ut some safe distance
from the stable aud yard. 1t is only {
question of time when the percolatior
OF water fouled by the manure in tn,
barH-yard, constantly teaching by tn,
rain, will reach the well: and though
the water is filtered TO some extent by
its passage through the soil. yet in tim,
a filter becomes fully charged witt
the sediment and can not act any
| lnnOnr